AMERICANS only have just days left to claim money after a $152 million tuna settlement.
Starkist and Lion Capital agreed to the settlement after claims that the company “conspired” with other tuna companies to raise, fix, maintain, or stabilize the price of canned fish.
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StarKist, DWI, and the Lion Companies have all reached proposed settlements.
The lawsuit alleged that the companies were overcharging consumers for canned tuna products, but they have denied any wrongdoing.
Consumers who indirectly purchased packaged tuna in cans or pouches smaller than 40 ounces and were produced by any of the tuna companies from June 1, 2011, to July 1, 2015, could be eligible to claim.
However, folks must reside in one of the following states:
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- The District of Columbia
- Florida
- Guam
- Hawaii
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
HOW TO CLAIM
Those interested in filing a claim can do so online or by mail, according to the settlement document.
The deadline to file is December 31, 2024 — just days away.
If you already filed a claim, you do not need to file another claim for payment.
The deadline to object was November 8, 2024. Those who objected were allowed to tell the court what they did not like about the StarKist and Lion Settlements.
They are still bound by the StarKist and Lion Settlements and are still able to file a claim.
Class members who do not act give up their right to sue or continue to sue StarKist and Lion for the claims in this case.
Unless a consumer has previously filed a valid claim in the settlement, they will not receive money.
TIN FISH RISE
Yahoo! Finance reports that StarKist is one of the major players in the canned seafood market.
Other major companies include Maruha Nichiro Corporation, Wild Planet Foods Inc., Trident Seafoods Corporation, Connors Brothers Limited, Thai Union Group, Bumble Bee Foods, LLC, and Dongwon Food Co Ltd.
Europe was the largest region in the canned seafood market in 2022 and South America is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the coming years.
What’s a class-action settlement?
Class action lawsuits offer groups of people, or ‘classes,’ a way to band together in court.
These suits are often brought by one or a few people who allege a company or other entity has wronged a large group of people.
When a suit becomes a class action, it extends to all “class members,” or people who may have similar complaints to those who filed the suit.
Companies often settle class actions – offering payment to class members who typically waive their right to pursue further legal action by accepting money.
These payout agreements frequently include statements by the defendant denying wrongdoing. Companies tend to settle class actions to avoid the costs of further litigation.
Pollution, discrimination, or false advertising are a few examples of what can land a class action on a company’s doorstep.
The canned seafood market is expected to reach $41.37 billion in 2027 at a compound annual growth rate of 5.5%, Yahoo! Finance reports.
Tinned fish has also gained a strong fan base online — with many food and health influencers promoting its health benefits.
TikToker Mei (@daywithmei) has a series on her page called “Tinned Fish Talk” where she showcases a new type of tinned seafood for her following of nearly 470,000 social media users.
Select Americans can get thousands from a data breach settlement soon, so long as they have a receipt.
And Americans could receive a second payment after a massive data breach affected nearly half of the country’s population.
